day 7.1 - Monday - 20min run, 1 min walk, 9 min run

Another hard day of running. I'm definitely connecting the dots to lack of sleep at this point as I was up until 1230am doing the closing for work. I did sleep in, but in general, I didn't get enough rest 2 nights in a row.

I ran at the Y on the track and my lower legs were painful / sore right away. I'm going to try to incorporate more of a warm-up routine so that hopefully it will stop happening. I'm running and refereeing tomorrow so I might have to take Wednesday off. Annie leaves on Saturday so fitting everything in could be a problem. Next week will be even worse as we're traveling to VA, but in any case, I think it's close to the point where I need to take off a week.

Day 6.7 - Sunday late morning

Didn't run until 7:30am this morning and it was a very hard, tiring run. Two minutes in I wanted to stop. Maybe because I ate poorly yesterday, or stayed up late, or because I was up four times in the night - whatever the case, it wasn't an easy run. I also started out with too much clothing and was too warm, but when I turned around I realized I had been running with the wind and I was glad to have the hat & gloves going into the breeze.

I ran w/ tights, supporter, Army jacket, and my NB 1224's. It was comfy. I should get my new Asics this week and I'm anxious to give them a try. Tomorrow I'll probably go w/ my Brooks one last time before the new pair arrives. The schedule for week 7 is pretty whacked - supposed to run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday. Friday & Sat aren't a problem, but I'm reffing on Tuesday and I think that's going to be too much. Unfortunately, w/ Annie leaving for Germany on Saturday afternoon, I don't think there's any way for me to offset the schedule. It means running 4 days in a row plus one refereeing night, but if Monday is hard, maybe I'll get someone else to ref for me.

Day 6.5 - Friday morning

God Bless that boy, Brennan! He woke up once at 11:45 and after 2 ounces went back to sleep for the night. I had to wake him at 7:30am to get him ready for Linda's!!! He couldn't have picked a better night for it as I HAD to wake up early today for my run as I've got closing, Darla's retirement party, and a varsity game to ref this afternoon.

I finally bit the bullet and will be returning my Saucony Hurricane 8's. They just never got any better no matter what I did. Today I ran in my Brooks Adrenaline and felt awesome. Wearing just tights & no underwear caused a bit of a chill in the wind that I'll have to watch out for in the future, but I got through it. I ran 1.6 miles in 17:10 which is under my previous 10-minute-mile pace, perhaps because the weather is so much nicer, or perhaps because I was under 223 pounds for the first time in over a year! I was wicked psyched today and I can't wait to run tomorrow, too. I'm exchanging the Saucony's for some Asics Gel Kayano's. I tried Asics back in the 90's and got blisters, but they are so well liked by so many, I thought I'd give it another shot. Tomorrow is a 19-min run, 1 min walk, and a 10 min run. It's 2 miles from the Y parking lot, up Williams street, to the intersection in Painted Post. Hopefully I'll be running 4 miles (2 out, 2 back) by summer. Looking at that trend, it's probably not a good idea to try for the Boilermaker in July, but if I can find a good plan, I'll be looking into it more seriously at the end of April.

Day 6.3 - Wednesday - late morning

Night started out bad and I again slept through my alarm - this is really starting to tick me off. Friday I have a game to ref so I must get my run in prior to the family wake-up or it may not happen. It's become quite fun for me and I miss it on days I don't run. I was on the road today by 8:05am after dropping off the kids. I wore my Saucony's 3D Grid Hurricane 7 sneakers with the RRS insoles in them all day yesterday and they felt fine. This morning they felt fine during the run, but my legs were noticeably weaker when done. Not sure what's up with that, but they will likely be relegated to the "yard-work" category after this. I don't have that problem with my Adrenaline's which aren't even made for a large body type so it must just be a crappy model year for them.

I started at the Y w/ tights, Army shirt, Nike jacket, hat, & mittens which was perfect for the weather. I ran out 16 minutes, turned around and ran for a minute (17 total), walked 1 minute, and then ran 12 more. I didn't get all the way back to the Y, but close enough that my cool down walk didn't take forever. My weight was 223.0 this morning so I'm trying to be conscious of what I eat / do so hopefully I can be under 223 tomorrow - lots of dairy, water, and meetings today to keep me moving so it's a definite possibility. I had leftover veggie lo mein for lunch - not sure how nutritious that is or how fatty, but everything else today has been & will be good.

Day 6.1 - afternoon @ the Y

Rough beginning to the night with Brennan, so I slept in - slept through my watch alarm, actually. I'm glad I did as the rest of the day was light enough that I was able to fit a run into the afternoon. It ended up being a longer than usual lunch, but it was worth it. I wore my new Starter insulating tights which were great on the way out due to the headwind - wore my Army jacket, too. On the way back I didn't need the hat and gloves and my breathing definitely was easier. It definitely seems that I'm breathing 3 in and 3 out which used to be my race pace. My weight isn't great as I was down to 223 yesterday but back up to 225 this morning. I am continuing to eat better, though: leftovers for dinner (not fast food or frozen pizza), bagel w/ cottage cheese & yogurt for breakfast, Kashi bar for post-race recovery, and salad for lunch. I hadn't planned on the salad, but I had to go to Applebee's to see if they'd sponsor the league and since I was waiting, thought I'd look like a supporter, too.

The issue I'm finding is the Saucony Grid Hurricane 7's. They felt lumpy right at the edge of the heel before the arch - maybe it's because I've been wearing shoes instead of my orthotics? At any rate, it's the second week for them and I recall the first week wasn't so good so they may become my grass-cutting sneakers if things don't improve.

Day 5.6 - Saturday afternoon

Actually, not sure if Saturday has been day six or day seven in past posts, but from now on, I'll try to remember that the "running" week starts on Monday so indeed, today was the 6th day of the week.

Today I ran around 2 or 3pm because of the hectic birthday & playdate schedule. I had it pretty easy, really, as Annie did all the running around. Because it was so late in the day I didn't know where to run to avoid traffic and on my way out to Forest Drive I settled on Old Canada road which turned out to be perfect. The jogging stroller affected my stride a bit, but the mileage was comparable. I used my NB 1224's without the RRS inserts and my legs don't feel nearly as tired as the other day. My calves & shins were painful at the start, but probably because I just spent 10 minutes crouching while giving Brennan his bottle.

Aside from that, it was fine. The tights & Nike jacket w/ short sleeve shirt were the perfect combo as there was a headwind at times that required me to zip up all the way, but on the way back I was so hot I nearly took the jacket off. My weight is still at a 224 or 225 plateau but I got some more nutritious food and will start taking Fish Oil supplements - hopefully that will help, too. I do keep reminding myself as well that I'm still not at the point of my runs where weight loss should occur - I need to be running longer and faster to make that happen.

Day 5.5 Friday Afternoon

Not a great run - a lot on my mind and the baby kept me awake until 2am - hence, no morning run. Turns out when I went to the Y around lunch, I didn't have my tights and although it was windy, the clothes I had were too warm otherwise so I ended up running on the track. There weren't a lot of people there, but they kept getting in my way which really screwed up my rhythm. But I did the run and feel good about it. I didn't refuel very well - chicken wing and meat lovers pizza. Too much fat, but I was obviously not well prepared for the afternoon. Hopefully I can run on Saturday morning and get back to normal.

I used my NB 1224's again, this time without the RRS cush insoles and I had no problems. Started getting wicked tired around the 22 min mark but otherwise, not significant to report. I spent quite a few minutes stretching and even remembered my heel raises afterwards. My shoulder is feeling better since I started stretching / rotating it on occasion, too.

Day 5.3 - after 1 week delay

I ran today at 11am in Big Flats just before lunch with Annie. As previously mentioned, I took a week off because of me & the baby. Things looked better this morning and the weather was beautiful. Annie had to head to work early so I had to get all 3 kids ready so I didn't run in the morning.

It was warm enough that I didn't need my tights - bummer - and I was actually a bit too warm with my long sleeve shirt and jacket. Thank goodness I was in shorts. The run was actually quite tiring to my legs which I can't ever recall happening. I was using my New Balance 1224's, but I had the RRS Cush Runner inserts inside - perhaps the extra cushioning sapped my strength. I'll hopefully find out on Friday when I run again. I'm refereeing tomorrow night (scrimmage) so I'll also take Thursday off and then get back on schedule Friday & Saturday. Today I ran 14 minutes and walked 1. I was a few minutes late to meet Annie, but she was a good sport about it thankfully. On Friday I'll run 14 minutes again and on Saturday it's up to 15 mins.

Hiatus Nearly Over

I ran last Tuesday & Wednesday and had a good time outdoors. Friday rolled around and it was too cold for outside and my shins were hurting so I skipped. Saturday was a no go because the baby kept me awake too late. And he's been sick ever since so I haven't gone running. I was up until 3am last night. Now, refereeing starts on Wednesday and I'm torn about when I should start running again. Wednesday? But I've got a scrimmage - don't want to do too much, too soon. Not tomorrow, Tuesday, either - it's 11:30 at night for goodness sakes, and that would throw my schedule off. I think I'll just go Wed morning at the 13 minute run level. My weight is okay - 225 - so I just have to be careful about not screwing up my legs. Knock-on-wood, my ankle feels nearly normal!

5.3 - Rainy morning

Today I got up late, was a bit tired, and was still recovering from running yesterday. Still, I put on the tights and went out. Seems like no matter which way I ran, there was a headwind. It rained hard about 1/2 way through the run, but then stopped and just left some puddles for me to avoid. The Brooks continue to work great.

A little upset at myself as I was 226 this morning and since I missed breakfast and didn't bring lunch, relegated myself to celery, peanut butter, and cookies all day. I had an Apple and Orange right next to me but I was so busy, I didn't eat them. Poor excuse as I found time for the cookies. Hopefully it won't affect me too much. Tomorrow is rest and then back on schedule. I really have to focus on not pushing too much too soon because I keep feeling I could go farther & faster...

day 5.2 - daylight savings time

I didn't run on Monday because Brennan had a rough night and I was still trying to get used to daylight savings time. Last night was even worse and since Brennan had me up at 4, 4:20, and 4:45, I decided to go running anyway. On the brighter side, I was able to start early because I ran outside instead of in the Y.

I started in the parking lot, went West towards Bridge, then left onto Williams - I think - towards Corning Gas. I made it all the way past the FastTrac before my 12 minutes was up. After walking for 1 minute, I continued to the Route 17 overpass and then headed back. I stayed on Pulteney until CMoG and ended my run at the Y. I had a relaxed few minutes to stretch, the shower was all mine, and I made it home by 6:30 on the dot. My shins bothered me only slightly and I wore my Brooks Adrenaline. I'm glad I'm tracking this so I can determine if the Saucony's are hurting me or not.

It felt good to run, but I've been going downhill ever since and I've got the kids all to myself tonight. I'm so beat I'll probably sneak in a nap before picking up Allison. And probably just get McD's for the kids.

4.6 - Outside Run because it was Warm!!!!

Not sure the temp, but it was at least 40 degrees outside. I had packed my stuff the night before and was able to put Brennan back to sleep before I left at 5:30am. I went to Wegmans, changed, ran, shopped, and relaxed for 10 minutes before Brennan woke up again around 7:10am.

I made 3 circuits of Market Street though my lower legs were quite bothersome. Not shin splints I think, but it definitely felt like a pounding. Maybe it's just the Saucony's because I think that's been the case all week. Next week I switch back to my Brooks so we'll see.

We went out for dinner & a beer last night and surprisingly, I'm still only 223.4 this morning. I'm a little disheartened that I haven't lost anything since last week, but I'm trying to keep in mind that I'm really not running much - not even 20 minutes at a time which is the fat-burning target. It's good that I'm controlling my diet (mostly :-) and if I keep increasing the running while watching my intake, I'll start to drop again.

Day 4.5 - Tired, sub 10-min mile

Pretty tired today even though Brennan only woke up twice in the night. Didn't really notice it until I was running and my eyes started tearing. Today was 10 minute runs followed by a 1 minute walk and ending w/ an 8 minute run. I timed & counted laps for each of the 10-minute runs and surprisingly, I ran miles at 9:35, and even faster the 2nd time at 9:30, even though the 2nd run felt like it was taking forever. It was a beautiful day outside and I could have run outdoors if I'd wanted to, but I'll do that tomorrow - it's supposed to rain which is my favorite way to run! The Saucony's were even better this time around and we'll see how they do on the roads tomorrow.

So looking at my 1-mile times, 9:35 per mile equates to a 4 hour & 9 minute marathon time. Remember back in 1993 when I ran 2 miles in 13:45?? That was my best Army time ever. Not sure if I'll ever get close to that again, but at least I'm running. The Boilermaker is 15K which is 9.3 miles so at a 10-minute mile pace that's 90 minutes which is 1.5 hours! Actually, that's about the pace I was running back in 1998 when I was running 8 miles per run in Rome. At least I haven't gotten significantly worse since then :-)

4.3 - Great Day

Wow - it's amazing how much better I feel & run when I get enough sleep. Little B only woke up once in the night at 2am and let us all get some much needed rest. I woke up before my alarm and was ready to go.

I was up to 224 lbs this morning, but considering I had to take all day off yesterday to be with Alli and her broken arm, not really surprising. It is still quite cold these days and I was glad to be in the gym. Today was 9 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking and I ran less than a 10 minute / mile pace. Not much less - we're talking 9:50 or so, but still better than my normal time. My shins didn't hurt and the only thing that bugged me was my right hip, but the track direction was clockwise instead of counter-clockwise so that's probably it. I cannot wait until spring when I can run outside. I need it to as my runs will start being longer so I need to start earlier in order to get back to the house to get the kids ready for school. The Boilermaker (15K) is just 4 months away :-)

Day 4.1 - vvveeeerrrrrryyyyyyy tttiiirrreeeddd...

The baby was up every hour or two in the night and I was up a little late helping Annie with her homework, too. I got my butt out of bed, though, and was glad to be running. The Saucony's were fine, but my lower legs were really uncomfortable - not enough to be called painful, but I was worried that's where things were headed. I think the discomfort was just due to being tired as my stride / timing didn't change at all. I stayed at 223.4 so I could be looking at 222 tomorrow, but I'm starving so I suspect I'll eat too much today and go up a little bit. No biggy - it's the overall trend that I'm shooting for.